Page 73 - Christie's Hong Kong November 29, 2022 Chang e Wha Collection of Jades

CLASSIC SEAL SCRIPTS

two views
兩面

2741
AN EXTREMELY RARE JADE ‘OWL’ 漢 玉鴞形鈕素面圓形印
CIRCULAR SEAL
HAN DYNASTY (206 BC-AD 220) 來源
德馨書屋舊藏，1996年購於香港
The circular seal is surmounted by a finial in the form of an owl
with its head turned back to rest on its feathery wings. The seal face
is plain. 此方德馨書屋舊藏圓形玉印，印鈕雕一鴟鴞，鴞目炯炯，鈎喙剛勁，
羽翅賁張，隨形環繞，情態威猛，鈎喙銜接鴞尾成一穿孔，為繫繩
√ in. (2.4 cm.) diam., box 之用。
漢代璽印形制與印面，以方形最多，圓形印較不多見，而由於玉質堅

HK$150,000-250,000 US$20,000-32,000 硬，不易受刀，亦偶出現未有文字鐫刻的素面印，此鴞形印既為圓形
又為素面，實屬稀有。
P R O V E N AN C E 漢代玉印印鈕，除較常見的覆斗形，橋形之外，還有螭龍、螭虎、
Dexinshuwu Collection, acquired in Hong Kong in 1996
龜、駝、馬…等造型。鴞形鈕的出現，首見於江西南昌海昏侯墓出土
Most seals from the Han dynasty are square in shape. It is extremely 的劉賀玉印，經仔細清理後，其形狀為一匐身回首，短尾疏翅，瞠目
rare to find a circular jade seal like the present example, and even 鈎喙的猛禽，專家考證為明確的「鴟鴞」造型（圖一）。而此方德馨
rarer to fine one with a finial in the form of an owl. Most extant 書屋舊藏圓形素面玉印的鴞形鈕，與劉賀玉印鴞形鈕的風格一致，
examples from this period are carved with tortoise or dragon finials. 實屬難得。
The owl on the current seal is comparable to a white jade square
seal surmounted by an owl finial, unearthed from the tomb of the
Marquis of Haihun in Nanchang, Jiangxi province (fig. 1).

fig. 1
圖一

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